


Gale's Hunger Games

by KingAlanI



Series: Gale's Hunger Games [1]
Category: Hunger Games (2012), Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-15
Updated: 2012-12-17
Packaged: 2017-11-28 17:23:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/676965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingAlanI/pseuds/KingAlanI
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>By Alan Gilfoy in the world of Suzanne Collins. Rory gets reaped and Gale volunteers, as well as Katniss going in for Prim. On the train, Gale and Katniss (admit they've) fall(en) in love. First-person present-tense Gale POV.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Before The Reaping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friends brought together by a horrible situation meet in their usual place.

I saw Katniss through the fence. I moved silently into the woods through a hole in the chain-link. It was a poor idea to disturb her at work, which was a sight to see. She handled a bow with a grace all her own, arrow after arrow finding their mark in the woodland creatures.

 

She noticed me soon enough, and lowered her bow hand. I had to reach down to embrace her; though shorter than me, we shared the grayish eyes, olive skin, and dark hair common to the District 12 ‘Seam’ slum. “Gale, your snares did almost as well as my arrows. Almost.” As I emptied traps into my game bag, I suppose she was right.

  
            We met each other out here about four years ago. ‘Catnip’ had been too nervous to say her name clearly. Our fathers, from whom we learned our respective hunting arts, had recently died in the same coal mine explosion. The government of Panem aimed to starve its people into submission, so what we were doing was most highly illegal – and necessary - for both of us. So we shared a common heritage, but also something more that we couldn’t quite identify.

 

A couple centuries ago, the world had been battered by natural disasters and the subsequent wars. Panem rose from the ashes of a northern continent. The Capitol’s rule over its 13 districts grew harsher, and this broke out in open rebellion seventy-four years ago. All suffered; District 13 was entirely obliterated. Capitol masterminds seemed to take sadistic glee in what they did both before the war and after.

 

Thinking ‘after’ shocked me back to the present. The centerpiece of their torture was the annual Hunger Games, where 24 children (a boy and girl from each district) fought to the death. Tomorrow was Reaping Day, where officials chose at random who would receive the ‘honor’. At eighteen, this was my last year. At twelve, my brother Rory’s first. Twelve! Katniss, herself in the middle, had similar worries for her sister Prim.

 

We sat down in the grass at the top of a hill, reflecting upon the impending doom. Katniss opens, “I wouldn’t want to have children, condemn them to the reaping too.” I couldn’t blame her. It was hard enough as is to have your favorites in the Games only to watch them die. There was already no way to escape the specter of the arena.

 

We walked in tandem on the way back out of the woods. She stopped merely to stow her archery equipment and pick herbs for her healer mother. As usual, there was more than our families could eat, so we cut across town to the Hob, an old warehouse turned black market center.

 

The two of us (and our loaded bags) were instantly recognized. Ripper, a moonshiner, quit complaining about the _arm_ she lost to the mines. I didn’t partake of her product, but she handed over a few coins for some of mine. After trading at various other stalls, Greasy Sae the cook cashed us out. She took more and was less picky about it. Fortunately, she could salvage the lesser meat, so I sat down for a soup bowl. District 12 Head ‘Peacekeeper’ Cray was on my right – as usual, he took ‘looking the other way’ to a whole new level. Katniss gulped. The look on her face was a mixture of anger, fear and relief. However lenient he was, he had an odious habit of soliciting prostitution from desperate young women in the district. Better an arrowhead than Cray’s bed, but either is better than dead. Cray I dealt with. I liked some of the rank and file, especially Darius, but he wasn’t here right now.

 

I headed to our house, such as it was. Vick and Posy were glad to see their big brother; Rory was too nervous to be cheerful about anything. I had to take him aside. “Hey, little man, don’t worry – they haven’t picked me in six years, and there are fewer entries for the younger ones anyway.” Showing my nerves wasn’t going to help him, so I didn’t phrase it as more entries for the older ones.

 

Not to mention tesserae – the Capitol tosses you meager extra rations for additional Reaping entries. I did that for all of us. My mother was at the washtub like usual. She summed it up: “Even all this just isn’t enough.” And us Hawthornes and the Everdeens were better off than most anyone else in the Seam! Those in the merchant section were mostly decent folk, and were often our best customers, but I resented that they were well off enough to not need tesserae.

 

I slept surprisingly well, considering what was coming the next morning.


	2. The Reaping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gale and Katniss face their impending doom and meet something even worse.

The entire district had to pile into the town square for Reaping Day, not just those of age for it. The Capitol wouldn’t let anyone escape it, of course. We must be reminded of the failed rebels and the Capitol’s might. The propaganda video played every year saw mercy in letting one live and giving us scraps; ‘ridiculous’ was not strong enough a word. I grabbed my usual kind of shirt and pants – such an odious event did not merit dressing up for.

We marched into a formation divided by gender and age; Katniss and I shared a glance across the center aisle, but I had no sight line on Rory. There was a large platform in front of the Justice Building; a huge screen to the right showed that damned propo. I saw Mayor Undersee take the stage, his tall bald form instantly recognizable. He saw mutual self-interest in bending the rules, but his position forced him to open the macabre festivities.

He soon passed the microphone to someone direct from the Capitol. She sure looked the part – over the top fashion, in her case a pink and purple theme. She revealed more trademarks as she opened her mouth. Her cheerful words betrayed obliviousness to conditions in the districts. The way she said those words illustrated the distinctive Capitol accent – clipped words except for an extended ‘s’ and distinctive vowel pronunciation, all of it in a high pitch.

“Ladies first!” With that, she put her left hand into a glass bowl full of paper slips. She settled on one, extracted it, and cracked the seal to read the name within. I felt sympathy shivers upon hearing the result: ‘Primrose Everdeen’.

Katniss had to be restrained by Peacekeepers as she burst into the center aisle, distraught over her sister’s fate. The commotion had already turned heads, and four simple words drew even more attention: “I volunteer as tribute.”

This was entirely within the rules of the Games, mainly as a way for the rich districts to send in their best, but it also created drama like this. The Capitol wanted the districts in submission, but they also wanted a good show. The Capitol official tried to start up some applause for Katniss’ bravery, but there was no ovation from the already-standing. 

Haymitch Abernathy stumbled onstage as the Capitol woman switched towards the boys’ reaping ball. Abernathy was the last District 12 victor, twenty-four years ago. He definitely did drink, and drink some more. The Games and their aftermath broke his mind, the alcohol he coped with broke his body. He was near the microphone as he slurred, “Ah, Effie, cram it…” That must be the Capitol woman’s name. She upturned her nose and downturned her mouth at this behavior, yet still kept her composure.

“And now for the young man from District 12!”. Effie didn’t take as long to pull out a paper slip this time. ‘Rory Hawthorne’. My heart sank; it is a wonder my body did not follow suit. Katniss’ example made this even more traumatic than it would be otherwise. Rory needed my help, but if he was to live, either myself or my dearest friend would have to die, if not both of us.

“I volunteer as well”. I wouldn’t deserve to face anyone in the district otherwise.

As we stood morosely upon the platform, Effie kept up her usual cheer: “and the honor of representing District 12 in the 74th Annual Hunger Games goes to Katniss Everdeen and Gale Hawthorne! Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!” There was nothing honorable or happy about it, and 23 to 1? Some odds…

Peacekeepers hustled us into separate rooms of the Justice Building. This place already held foul memories for us- we went here to pay the terrible price of tesserae, and it’s where funerals are held for victims of mine explosions. Now it’s the last place where we would see our loved ones.

All four of them were there to see me off. 

“I made this yesterday”. Rory handed me a small drawing – it was stick figures, but clear enough the five of us in front of our shack. The rules for the Games allowed tributes to bring a token of home into the arena, and this would be mine. “Big Man, if anybody from Twelve could win the Games, you can.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t write off Catnip like that. We won’t be able to get food for y’all while we’re off in the Capitol; there’s enough of a stockpile to last through the Games themselves. If Katniss comes back instead, she’ll take care of y’all.” I certainly would do the same for Prim and Ingrid. 

“But what if neither of you come back?” 

I responded to Rory through gritted teeth: “then and only then take the tesserae”. The five of us were able to close on a high note, as we had time for a group hug before the Peacekeepers hauled me away.

I saw Katniss again at the train station, and said to her, “We’re in the same situation again – what do we do now?” 

Her response was perfect: “what we’ve always done – whatever it takes to keep us and our families alive.”


	3. Railway To Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gale and Katniss, both reaped, are on the train to the Capitol. There they meet their mentor and escort, and meet themselves agian in a new context.

“Let a man wake up! I’m still very drunk, and I intend to be drunker before the morning is over.” Reeling from a severe hangover seems normal to him.

“You’re supposed to be our mentor for the Games!” My righteous indignation did not make it through his thick and pounding skull.

All he said was “Stay alive!”

I lost patience. I picked up a knife and slammed it into the table near his hand. “Well, how?”

 

             “That is mahogany!” _We’re being escorted to our death, and Effie is more concerned about Capitol luxury. District Twelve does not have enough obscenities for this._

 

More importantly, Haymitch finally snapped to attention. “You need survival skills in the Games, not just weapons. Grab what you can and get away from the Cornucopia as fast as possible”.

 

Katniss spoke up now. “I must have a bow.”

 

Haymitch stroked his disheveled beard as he mulled this over. “Ah, the Finnick method – wreak havoc with your best weapon.” From Four, the fishing district, he won easily once given a trident. _I’ve had schoolgirls all over me since before I met Katniss, but that prettyboy makes me look like ol’ Undersee by comparison._

 

 “Much of my job is to decide what gifts to send and when. Much of your job is to draw the sponsors’ attention. However, there’s no way we could afford a gift like that. You’ll have to get your bow inside the arena.” _Another privilege of wealth denied to us_.

 

            The quantity and variety of the recently-arrived food was surprising even to us successful hunters. We started on it and Effie observed, “At least you two have some manners. The pair last year ate like savages.”

 

I reached for a piece of sauce-covered meat and shoved it into my mouth. “Maybe that’s because it was the first decent meal in their lives.” I finished with a flourish, wiping my saucy fingers on the tablecloth. Haymitch and Katniss cheered.

 

            I was really starting to like Haymitch underneath the drunken shell. He quickly brought us back to business. “We need an angle for the sponsors. Two volunteers from Twelve, that’s unprecedented. You two in particular seem _quite close_.” _Haymitch could figure out what neither of us could._ “I've been alone and miserable since the Capitol murdered my Jessica, but I’m not going to get in the way of anyone else’s happiness.”

 

Katniss cleared the air: “I’m even closer to little Prim; I couldn’t bear to see her in the Games.”

I quickly followed up like I did at the Reaping. “Rory didn’t stand a chance either, but one of us might make it.” 

Haymitch got the message it was about our siblings, and started discussing the other districts. “The tributes from Districts 1, 2 and 4 often have spent much of their lives preparing for the Games. Many volunteers are ready even if the reaped person isn’t. It’s an open secret, one of the Capitol favors to their preferred districts. Since it’s a career for them, they’re known as Careers.” _One made the Capitol’s luxury items, but what was so special about masonry and seafood? Nine, Ten and Eleven are also involved in food production, but are dirt poor._

 

A few things stood out from the other reapings. A brawny young man from District 2 stepped forward before the escort’s hand had even entered the reaping ball. Cato was _armed_ and dangerous. A little girl from 11 had no volunteers. I can understand why Katniss started crying – Rue looked like a darker version of Prim. I crouched down to comfort her: “Not every little girl can be lucky enough to have a big sister like you.”

“That’s so sweet,” was the soft response.

 

Some others were older and larger than Rue, but not by much. The District 2 girl and the District 4 boy looked small for Careers. Any of them may surprise; there was only so much you could tell from a short film clip. The boy from 11 could compete with Cato on size at least.

 

“My Games came down to me and the girl from District 1. She fought me to within an inch of my life. I won with a throwing-axe trick, but even the Capitol surgeons had trouble patching me up.” Haymitch’s voice cracked a bit with this aside on his own Games.

            “It’s getting late, and we have a busy day tomorrow. Stylists will fix you up after you arrive in the Capitol.” _They obviously left_ him _alone._ Haymitch winked as he said “Do we need one less sleeper car?” This was another opportunity for Effie to disdain his impropriety. We didn’t take him up on the idea.

 

Katniss came to visit my room. _Good. We needed to talk about the Games alone._ “I can see where Haymitch is coming from as a strategist. After all, that’s what I do, planning and setting traps and snares. We’re hunting people instead of animals now. That’s easier said than done, but we know what to do.”

She turned to me and said, “You’re right, but speaking of Haymitch, whenever he talks about the two of us, your face turns the color of the sunset.”

“Catnip, I do love you.” _I definitely thought it, but never said anything – I didn’t want to jeopardize our friendship and I didn’t dare risk the professional relationship both our families depended on._

“I think I do too. I wonder why we hadn’t realized it yet.” _She is mine. I am hers. Why did we need the Games to recognize that?_ I was already surprised, but then she jumped up to place her lips on mine. _I suppose I’m short compared to the trees she’s climbed._

“You taste like our woods,” she said. _I had done plenty of kissing, but I had never before been kissed like that._ I glowed again as she walked away for the night.

 

The next morning, Katniss smiled, still happy to see me. We decided to avoid morning Haymitch for breakfast. The food was rich, though not as decadent as dinner.

 

The train sputtered to a stop on its lightning march westward. Effie had no tolerance for the unexpected maintenance delay. I dismissed her histrionics, but I credited her commitment to organization. Nevertheless, we tributes would rather wait.


	4. Threshing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gale and Katniss get their first taste of the Capitol's Games pageantry, and meet some of the other tributes.

The city glistening in the horizon rapidly came closer as the train got back underway. The Capitol buildings were just as garish as its people. The train station was sort of an exception – luxurious, but mostly a straightforward gleaming white. However, the behavior of the people in it was certainly garish – evidently, we were merely curiosities to be gawked at.

 

            From what Haymitch said, that was going to get worse – upon arrival, the tributes were paraded into the training center. There was a building near the station where our stylists and prep teams made us over for the occasion. I saw Cinna (Katniss’ stylist) – dark, toned but not ripped, and a bit of gold makeup that was downright reserved by Capitol standards. He had us covered – black bodysuits textured to look like coal. Portia helped me get into mine and work the zippers.

 

We caught glimpses of the others, whose costumes were also district-themed. The cowboy from District 10 was walking with a limp. _He had even less of a chance than Rue_. District 4 wore light blue studded with pearls, perfect for the sea. Cato was even more intimidating in polished armor. The luxurious District 1 had feathers, furs and jewels. Making Glimmer look good was not difficult. I averted my eyes – after all, I wouldn’t want Katniss to be studying Cato or Thresh too closely.

 

Haymitch took a moment to talk to the two of us alone. “Some tributes pretend to be weak so they’ll be underestimated. Don’t do it. District 12 has actually been weak for too many years. Show the strengths you do have.” He paused. “Also, I evidently was right about your relationship. Simply act like it in public. Besides, victors know each other well, and Finnick says the Capitol single life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

 

Then Cinna came back with a small torch. When he explained himself, I noticed a lack of the Capitol accent. “The suits are flame-retardant. I’m here to help you make an impression, and this will certainly be burned into their minds.” Katniss and I became blazing coals as red flame shot out from our necks.

 

Katniss was also impressed, and spoke up: “Evidently the stylists can help us get through the Games as surely as Haymitch’s advice.” This meant something coming from her, since she was never one for fashion.

 

A Peacekeeper interrupted our thoughts. “Chariots are almost here, ladies and gentlemen.” Looking outside, I saw black carts each pulled by a pair of huge horses. “Simply climb right up and hold on.” The carts had open backs and front handles, so this was easy enough to do.

 

The horses soon took off and the ride didn’t take long. The end of the road was surrounded by seats full of ecstatic Capitolites, although they were really cheering at us, not with us or for us. Tributes entered the half-circle in district numerical order. We saw Rue and Thresh as they lined up in front of us. Thresh was surly, as well he should be. Rue was gamely trying to wave. Katniss cast a smile directly at her, and the gesture was perfectly understood.

 

Some other district pairs also raised their hands together, but Katniss and I were a bit more enthusiastic about it. Due to our height difference, she grasped my arm at the elbow. I’m sure the Capitol audience would find it cute, especially the way we were smiling.

 

I thought the crowd noise had already reached a fever pitch, then Twelve made its entrance. There was a collective gasp at Cinna’s crowns of flames. I saw a blue figure in the balcony. It was obviously Caesar Flickerman. He’s the biggest Capitol media personality, especially when it comes to coverage of the Games. His skin remained its natural pale, but everything else about his appearance stuck to this year’s color scheme. He seemed friendly, rather than the cheerful obliviousness common elsewhere in the Capitol.

 

We could hear him clearly over the venue’s sound system. He was just finishing a previous interview. “Thank you, Mr. Crane. I hope the Games are as exciting as you anticipate. I just love how clever the stylists are each year, reflecting the character of each district. And now for a word from our President.” One man stepped off the balcony and another entered.

 

Coriolanus Snow is a monster, but he was up there looking like someone’s kindly old grandpa. I could see him playing board games outside of Frayer’s general store back home. _Home. Which at least one of us wasn’t going back to._  

Katniss sensed me seizing up and we began whispering to each other. “What’s wrong?”

“Catnip, I’m sick for the home we may never see again.”

“Sounds like something we need to talk about more in private.”

 

Well, the Frayer crowd wouldn’t have an impeccable purple suit with a white-rose boutonniere. They wouldn’t put a pleasant shroud over an evil core either. No one did _that_ like Snow – no wonder he was on top here. “Welcome to the 74 th annual Hunger Games. Tributes, you have the honor of representing your districts’ loyalty to the Capitol.” _You have the bad luck to be the symbol of your districts’ submission to Capitol force_. Katniss and I shared a glance that was as exasperated as the camera coverage would allow. “Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor.” _That must be where Effie got it from. It makes no more sense when Snow says it_.

 

The arena was at the base of a building we would soon enter: the Training Center. A few days would not make up for the Careers’ years, but I knew better than to dismiss it. I counted more than twelve floors – probably one for each district and a few common areas. We dismounted and walked up the steps. Our teams were waiting inside.

 

Haymitch was the one to greet us; he had already greeted the liquor cabinet. “You did great, and that Cinna is a darn genius! Go upstairs, get settled in, change into street clothes. Dinner in 42 minutes at the common dining room back down here.

 

We did have our own floor, the top one. Even so, it wasn’t much of an elevator ride. I was already weary of and unsurprised by obscene Capitol luxury at this point, so I didn’t take in too much of the apartment. “Ladies first” also applied to the bunking arrangement; Katniss took Bedroom A while I headed a bit further down the hall to B. (Our staff had rooms off to the side.)

 

Someone brought up the clothes we had worn from home, but we had a uniform to wear to dinner. Black pants, mostly-black T-shirt with shoulder stripes and a district number patch in silver and red. There were multiple sets; I put one on and headed back into the main room of the apartment.

 

“The Capitol treats us well only right before we’re about to die for their amusement, eh Haymitch?” Katniss joined us before Abernathy had a chance to respond. Her outfit was similar to mine. “Looking good…by which I mean, even better than usual.” I saw a hint of a smile…

 

“Smooth move, Hawthorne. Anyway, all 24 are dressed the same now. Some of the Career kids will resent us. Still didn’t make killing Diamond any easier.” _Diamond?_ Haymitch soon realized his ambiguity. “The girl I defeated to win the 50 th Games.”

 

“Behave yourselves. Don’t act like the hicks they might think you are.” Effie Trinket nodded her massively bewigged head in approval.

 

Katniss and I left a bit early for dinner. Before the rest caught up, Katniss said, “Let’s make the most of what little time we have left together.” I answered silently, leaning down to cradle her head and lock my lips with hers. “Mmmh, like that!…” Unfortunately, we had to break it up and move along.

 

The dining hall had just a few long tables. The Capitol wanted the tributes in close proximity for the first time, and they would get it. “The entrance to the training rooms is over there,” said a Capitol official, pointing to a nearby set of doors. “Be there by ten tomorrow morning.”

 

Cato cut her off. “Hey lady, cut the crap. I’m starving.”

 _His casual use of that word really pushed my buttons. I’d have to fight him at some point, might as well start now_. “You have no idea! Try feeling empty even after tesserae and get back to me on that!” This was the first time I had seen Thresh’s surly expression fade. Katniss, Rue and some other fellows from poor districts started cheering.

 

Truth be told, I was ready to get the buffet myself. I threw together several things from the mountain before us – noodles in cream sauce, fried potatoes, beans and a slab of beef, all topped with cheese, onions and assorted condiments.

 

I saw Katniss pull away from the serving table to talk to Rue. “Come sit by me, little flower.”  _I was well aware of what this meant – Katniss called Prim ‘Little Duck’_. I sat down with Katniss and her new friend on one side of the table.

 

Cato and his fellow Careers were holding court down at the other end. I strode over there to let them know that I couldn’t be intimidated. I saw Clove in the middle of a steak; she was working the knife a bit too enthusiastically. It certainly wasn’t out of starvation; speaking of which, Rue found this literally unbelievable - Catnip had to coax her into recognizing that she really was allowed to eat this much for once.

 

“Hello…” Glimmer’s voice was smooth.

Alex, the boy from Four, _commented_ on how I ignored her to continue staring down Cato. “Ten sent a cripple, Eleven sent a mute, did Twelve send a blind man?”

Marvel, Glimmer’s district partner, piled on. “Nah, he knows she’s out of his league.”

Glimmer flipped her long blonde hair while responding to him. “You aren’t one to talk.”

Cato spoke to his fellows and then to me. “Knock it off. Twelve has good tributes for once. You over here because you want in on our alliance?” _I need to deal with Cato, not work with him._

“Definitely not. At least you recognize we’re not to be trifled with.”

 

In a few days I would be killing some of them. Tomorrow, I started learning how. I figured this conversation was over, so I went to grab another hunk of bread to mop up the rest of the sauces on my plate. The red servants in mute witness stood. I left my dishes to them, but wasn’t going to demean them any more than the Capitol already had.


	5. Winnowing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tributes prepare for the arena that awaits them.

Katniss said goodbye to Rue with “See you tomorrow, little flower.”

Haymitch joined us as we left the dining hall. “Way to stick it to Cato and get other tributes behind you while you’re at it. Non-Career Alliance, I like it. However, now that you’re a target, that makes it even more important to get away from the Cornucopia as fast as possible.”

 

The conversation turned more personal once Katniss and I were alone back in the apartment. “Catnip, I knew you’d see a lot of Prim in Rue.”

She started crying into my arm. “It’s just that I…can’t save her too…but I’m still going to comfort her.”

“You’re probably the only one outside of Eleven that’s ever done that for Rue. That’s the spirit of the young woman I love.”

“Gale, you do have a gifted mouth.”

 

I was about to demonstrate that when Haymitch sauntered in to summarize our upcoming schedule. _Couldn’t this have waited?_ “Tomorrow is the first of three straight days of training. Breakfast and dinner are in the district apartments, lunch is in the dining hall. Each tribute shows off to the Gamemakers privately on the third afternoon. The scores are announced in the evening, then each tribute is interviewed live on primetime TV. The next day…the Games.”

 

On the cusp of a pleasant _conversation_ , we ended up switching gears to a discussion no one our age should ever need to have. Almost in unison, “The hardest part of the Games would be losing you.” I felt my eyes well up; I saw her gray orbs do the same. As I moved a hand to wipe my eye sockets, I said, “We both have to remain strong if either of us are going to make it out alive.” We were each willing to save the other; after all, it was a loving sacrifice that put each of us in this situation to begin with.

 

We got up early the next morning and were two of several tributes in the training center well before ten. The woman in charge had the serious demeanor appropriate to the situation. “No fighting with other tributes before you enter the arena! Our assistants can spar with you if desired.” She went over the list of stations – assorted weapon types, various styles of unarmed combat, many outdoor survival skills and some obstacle courses. Looking around the cavernous structure, there was plenty of room for all of it.

 

The District 5 boy called out, “Miss Atala, what if somebody attacks us with a pointed stick?”

“Christopher, as I said, the spear station is right behind me.” Atala had a few more words before she released us to the stations. “Don’t dismiss survival skills. Many tributes die of exposure, not in combat. The arena environment could be anything.”

 

I pondered my options while watching a footrace of sorts: Katniss to the archery range, Cato to the sword station. The corner of my eye caught a rare thing: her missing a shot. _We did not need this_. Cato was surprisingly swift for someone of his size, and he got to the sword station nearly as quickly. His arms moved that blade through the air with frightening strength and speed. I already knew he was dangerous, but I had a visceral reaction to watching it.

 

My _partner_ had a ranged weapon, so I figured I ought to complement it with a melee device. I started swinging a club and landed some satisfying blows on the practice dummies. However, I quickly tired, and the trainer suggested it was an issue of arm strength. _Wonderful_. It was time to run to the weightlifting area. I worked on my right arm with a metal blob that seemed much heavier than the club.

 

After a couple hours of this, it was time for lunch. “Way high and a bit to the left? Catnip, what’s gotten into you?”

She laughed a bit as she said, “Capitol steel - these bows are real nice, but they do handle differently. You must have seen only my first shot; I was quickly back to form.”

“What a relief!”

 

We started comparing notes, pretty much all of it good-to-know.

“Watch out for Cato with a sword!”

“Watch out for Clove with a knife!”

“But Catnip, you were in the ranged-weapons area.”

“For her, it is a ranged weapon.”

“Now how’s little flower?”

“Rue’s even better than I am at climbing trees; she learned working in District 11’s orchards. She can run too. Good recipe for staying out of trouble.” Katniss’ prosaic words for her friend were interrupted by an Avox servant dropping off a bowl of stew.

“What’s that?”

“Lamb.” She leaned in to whisper in order to continue this conversation. “I’m angry that District 12 has much worse, but I do like this stuff.”

“Catnip, I feel the same way, I’m fast becoming a fan of actual beef, rather than things Greasy Sae _calls_ ‘beef’.”

 

The survival skills mostly looked familiar to me. Unlike weapons, it wasn’t high-impact to show off what you already knew. Katniss felt the same way, but had something to add: “The girl from Five, she knows her plants.”

 

I figured I’d try out the fancy Capitol bows right after lunch. The archery staffer quickly responded to the ‘12’ on my shirt. “ _She’s_ the best I’ve seen in several years doing this, and someone from a poorer district no less.” After a short while, I at least came close to the critical areas of the targets. “What can I say? I learned from the best.”

 

Cato favored swords, but he was no stranger to other weapons. It was impossible to miss an altercation at the (non-throwing) knife station later in the afternoon. He shoved the young man from Six. “Where’s my knife?”

“I told you, I don’t have it.”

“That’s what they all say.” I saw Rue hiding in the rafters, smirking with the weapon in _her_ hand. Her allies, including myself, returned the gesture.

Atala brought an end to the overall incident. As she called over a Peacekeeper to separate the pair, she said, “What part of ‘don’t fight with other tributes yet’ don’t you understand?”

 

I was glad to have a relatively private dinner coming up – just me, Katniss, Haymitch and Effie back in the apartment. I was of course sitting next to Katniss. We were getting rather playful with each other, and Haymitch shooed out Effie on our behalf: “Ms. Trinket, you are dismissed.” She was of course too polite to make a scene about this, and quietly took her plate elsewhere.

 

It was understandable that he wanted her out of the way for this discussion. “Now, does anyone else know you’re an item?”

“Well, the folks back home think we’re just friends… Not too long ago, that’s what _we_ thought.”

Katniss confirmed this, but it wasn’t the answer Haymitch was looking for. “I mean here in the Capitol.” We both truthfully responded in the negative.

“Remember what I said right after we got off the train, ‘simply act like it in public’. This is professional advice as your mentor: the appeal of young lovers will help one of you get out alive.”

 

We whispered to each other while deciding how to respond. We took turns speaking up, but the sentiment was in unison: “Thank you for bringing us closer together. It brightens what may be our last few days. We don’t want to make our private lives public, but compared to the other evils of the Games…”

 

“About that…I can sense you have a burning desire to tell the Capitol what you think.” _That’s for sure_. “They’d make you – and your friends and family – pay dearly. I would know. However, you don’t need to regurgitate Capitol propaganda either. Try to strike a balancing act. May the odds be ever in your favor.” He laughed a bit at repeating the cheesy line, alleviating some of the pain from dredging up bad memories.

 

The next day, I thought that maybe we should visit the survival skills stations after all. That way, our experience wouldn’t seem so suspicious. Katniss had it right: “Yesterday, we learned something anyway with the bows.”

 

I wasn’t much for camouflage – I tread carefully in the woods, achieving stealth by sound instead of sight. I could cover myself in brush, but their style of camouflage entailed body paint, and I was no artist. The Capitol had all sorts of interesting ways to start fires – I appreciated the convenience of lighters or matches, but I confirmed my ability to work with wood friction or flint if need be.

 

Katniss seemed to be in better spirits today. As she whispered to me, “This reminds me of home in the best possible way. I’ve always felt most alive in the woods. Either alone or in a pair – first with my father, then with you.”

 _Whoa. I thought she might have felt this way, but it’s a different thing to hear it._ “I’m honored.”

“Now to show off what I learned from _you_.” Just as she turned me into a decent shot, I had turned her into a decent trapper. Her snares caught the Capitol robo-critters and lifted them into the air; if for real, this would keep the catch out of the way of other predators.

 

The instructors seemed glad to have _someone_ at their stations – Atala’s advice was being largely ignored. The Careers weren’t over here – if they had any weakness, it was overconfidence. The other non-Careers had either given up or were hiding what they could do.

 

During lunch, she said to me, “What else have you been doing?”

“Swinging stuff with my right arm, either weights or clubs.” We went over to the club/mace station after lunch. I demonstrated and she picked up a bit.

 

Haymitch was waiting for us back in the apartment. “I hear you two were inseparable today. Good. I figure ya might want to have dinner alone; try the roof.”

“The roof?”

“We _are_ on the top floor. The stairs are easy to find. Wonderful view of the Capitol, peaceful spot.” _Read, nobody or nothing able to overhear you._

“Good idea. Catnip?”

“It’s a date.”


	6. Calm Before The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gale and Katniss find some time alone as the Games approach.

Why did Haymitch suggest seclusion? Was he trying to play tactician, matchmaker, or both?

 

            The Avoxes awaited our meal orders. I figured I’d investigate what’s so great about this lamb stew and Katniss was up for more of her favorite. With the stairwell door propped open, it was easy enough to bring the pot up to the roof with us.

 

            Katniss stopped a bit at the top of the stairs, pausing to say “Wow. I thought the Capitol was stunning from the edge, but it’s even more striking in the middle of it.”

 

 _I sensed an opportunity to insult the Capitol and flatter my girlfriend at the same time, to vent my hate and my love simultaneously_. “Yes, but that’s not real. You are. I think this would be just as special if we were sharing squirrel over a bed of tesserae mush.” _This was the romantic thing to say, and had_ some _truth to it, but the Capitol food pleasantly assaulted my senses._

 

I loaded a spoon before handing it to her, and she replied, “That’s how to make this stuff taste even better – you serving it.”

I finally reached for my own spoon. The bits of lamb had a luscious taste, and the broth soaked into the rice oh so well. “Catnip, you have excellent taste.”

“Thank you.”

“Growing closer to you has made this much more bearable so far. But it must end all too soon.” No spit-swapping here, just a deep embrace.

“And we were right under each others’ noses.”

“Heck, it took us awhile to just become friends.” Not only was she too nervous to say her name clearly at first, it took us months to really trust each other.

She was clear with what she said now. “We’re still friends too, right? Said I'll always be a friend - took an oath, Imma stick it out till the end.”

“Right, but what oath?”

“Gale, I said it back at the train station, but we’ve always thought it: ‘do whatever it takes to keep us and our families alive.’”

“We keep our heads held high, we’ll stick together you and I - I’m just like you, baby, I’m on the hunt.”

“I’ve really enjoyed this taste of love before we go into the depths. Whichever one of us goes home should remember the other, but move on when ready – it ain’t right that the victor should live alone.”

“Catnip, that’s perfect.” While we embraced again, I said “I’d sure miss this.”

“Me too.” As she broke away, she brushed up against my upper right arm.

 

“That doesn’t feel or sound like muscle.”

“It isn’t. It’s my token, courtesy of Rory.”

“It’s rough, but it is a clear drawing of the Hawthornes. However, I ended up with something a little fancier.” That was an understatement. The pin, a gold mockingjay touching a jade circle, could only have come from someone particularly well off in the Merchant Section. The only person she really knew over there was the mayor’s daughter. I was right about that, and it turns out we were both given our tokens in the Justice Building.

 

“Also, I told Mother she damn well better not fail on Prim again if I die in the Games.”

She was now touching on the sorest part of our shared history. I gave my side. “After the explosion, we worked through the pain – we had to, especially with a newborn around.”

“I wish my mother had realized that. She fell into a debilitating depression that lasted long after Mayor Undersee’s one-month pension ran out. I still haven’t quite forgiven her for that.”

“Those Merchant Section snobs made her pay for marrying someone from The Seam.”

“True, but it was so totally worth it to her as long as he was still here. All those high-falutin’ society people, she didn’t care if they didn’t understand. But once he was gone, she didn’t do anything and Prim and I damn near starved. We probably would have if it wasn’t for someone from the Merchant Section.” Her emphasis on those last two words really helped temper my invective; she had a gift for that sort of thing.

“Who?”

“Peeta Mellark. The Boy With The Bread.”

“Well, that is what he does for a living.”

“I was caught in a spring downpour. I couldn’t even find scraps in the trash cans. We were done for. I had just checked the bin behind the bakery. Then Peeta ‘accidentally’ burned two loaves and threw them my way. I skedaddled as Mrs. Mellark went into one of her trademark rages.

 

I already saw Peeta as one of the few good guys over in the Merchant Section, but this still blew my mind. This might explain why the Mellarks got along so well with us. Many people in Twelve knew us through our fathers and our continuation of their work, but come to think of it, those bakers were something special.

 

“The bread started to bring Mom back and we made it through to my twelfth birthday. While thinking about it, my glance fell upon a spring flower; that reminded me of the woods and I began to go there to do as my father had taught me.”

 

I poked at the empty stew pot. “You want more of this? We probably should put on as much weight as possible – who knows what the arena’s food supply is like, not to mention the exertion of the Games.”

“Maybe so, but it’s still hard to stuff ourselves while thinking of the starving people at home.” She had a point.

 

“The Games change you. I want to keep that to a minimum, at least not end up like Haymitch.” She had a point about this too.

“Can we change the Games based on how we react to them?” Katniss was used to my rebel talk while we were in the woods together back home. “Our love would crack their indifference. I think Haymitch means more than just going after sponsors.”

 

We packed up and headed back to the apartment. A magical evening sadly had to turn practical. What we had to discuss really put a damper on events.

 

“So?” _Haymitch_.

“Great success.” _Success at what? He’d interpret that according to what his plans were_.

 

“See you tomorrow, Catnip.”

“Don’t I at least get a goodnight kiss, big man?” _You sure do_. Our faces mashed closer than they ever had before; her tongue tasted even sweeter than her lips.

 

Both of my brains were on a hair trigger to reciprocate any move she made, but I hadn’t sensed anything beyond smooching.

 

I needed a cold shower. The Capitol made even bathing too complicated. I managed to work around the settings for fancy scents and soaps (which Katniss probably liked about as much as I did). The full-body dryer was effective in its simplicity though. I flopped down onto a bed that easily could have held all five of us back home.

 

The next morning, Katniss and Rue had a friendly race through the ropes course. Rue made it surprisingly close, but Katniss was still clearly the first to come off. She could have made the leap herself, but I still lined up to catch her. The way I had her held up to my eye level, nothing else needed to be said or done. As I released my grip, she leapt back and caught Rue on her shoulders. Once Rue hit the floor, the dual bowing drew claps from myself and the few other tributes that had gathered.

 

I had nothing friendly planned for my showing off. In the tribute parade, we benefitted from going last. I intended to leave a similar final impression in both public and private training today. Most Careers were particularly fond of an obstacle course called The Gauntlet. I’d run it last. The platforms got higher and higher as you worked your way up. Training assistants came at you with dummy clubs. I knew how they swung, so I anticipated how to dodge the blows. I dropped low to avoid the final hit and smirked as I stood up on the last platform.

 

Atala’s whistle blew. “And that’s it! Private sessions begin after lunch.”


	7. Showtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katniss makes a splash with the Gamemakers and Gale makes a splash with the interview audience - afterwards, they make a splash with each other. ;)

Each tribute had a fifteen-minute private session with the Gamemakers. The wait for that short time was interminable especially for those of us from high-numbered districts. Ladies first – I thought that was how to get off a sinking ship, not get on one. Glimmer and the rest of the Careers walked in and out with their usual swagger. Katniss walked in and stormed out. I’d need to learn what happened there as soon as possible, but now it was my turn.

 

            Each tribute had the full run of the training center. We looked like we were showing off publicly, like Haymitch suggested, but we still had tricks up our sleeves. I decided to do several things at once. I rigged some traps and also lashed together a pack. I had a weight station attendant pour seventy pounds in it. I could still run the gauntlet in this. Heck, I wrestled away one of the trainers’ padded clubs. I proceeded to use it on the others as I fought my way to the top platform. I dropped my pack and began throwing the weights at the trap triggers. They went off as planned. Those snares weren’t my best work, but they weren’t bad for a few minutes.

“Catnip, it looks like that didn’t go too well.”

“I blew it; we’re all screwed.”

“What did you do?”

 “I went for long-distance shots on the archery targets, then trick shots on other things in the training center – cut down the boxing sandbag, stuff like that. I was getting fed up with being ignored. Most important fifteen minutes of our lives, what little may remain of them, and they Gamemakers are too busy stuffing their faces and getting drunk. Some Avoxes had recently brought them a roast pig. I shot the apple right out of its mouth.”

 _My rage was generally more calculated_. “Sheesh, Catnip. You shot towards the Gamemakers? Well, you caught their attention; they were certainly focused when my turn came up.”

“A lardass assistant gamemaker fell into the punch bowl when trying to dodge the arrow. I was amused.”

 

            “The scores are announced tomorrow evening, right before the interviews.”

            I let Haymitch know my displeasure with that. “That wait is another way to torture us.”

            “I don’t like it either.”

 

            We spent the next day getting ready for our interviews. Much of my coaching session had to do with tempering my rebelliousness to Capitol-safe levels. I was certainly clever enough to make that work while still saying what I felt needed to be said.

 

Our stylists prepared new outfits for the individual interviews. We were not literally on fire this time, but Cinna was certainly continuing the theme.

 

            Portia was enjoying this, and I couldn’t say I blamed her. The skintight fabric of the shirtsleeves and pant legs highlighted my muscle tone; the pants weren’t _too_ obvious. The reddish accents on a black background looked good too. Looks aside, pointing out my muscles makes it clear that I’m dangerous in the Games.

 

            Katniss…wow! I’ve never seen a woman look so good. I was already madly in love with her due to the connection built over years of shared experience, but it’s amazing what a little makeup can do, not to mention Cinna’s other tricks. The one-shoulder red dress turned her into a single flame; her hair and face shone while retaining their classic style.

            “They made you even more beautiful.”

            “It looks like you can’t complain about the stylists either.”  
            Winks were exchanged.

 

            The training scores were announced right before we left for interviews, on a scale of one to twelve with twelve being the highest. The Careers got nines or tens like expected. Nothing came close to that until Thresh’s nine. Rue didn’t do too bad at seven. Katniss was afraid of a zero as punishment for her stunt. She couldn’t believe the truth: eleven. It looked like Caesar couldn’t believe it either. My own ten seemed anticlimactic.

 

            We lined up in the now-familiar district and gender order. We were in a hallway outside the studio, but were able to see the goings-on.

 

            Glimmer’s dress meant that there was a lot _to_ see with her. One anonymous soul in the audience let loose a two-toned whistle. Glimmer panned through the seating area, staring daggers. Having already established the _femme_ part, she made the _fatale_ part just as clear. _While your jaw’s on the floor, watch, she’ll hit you again._ Most of the male tributes, including myself, were behaving like gentlemen.

An angry Miss Shinesmith said, “I have a boyfriend, you know.” Most of Panem was probably wondering who the lucky guy was. I couldn’t care less. Templesmith said her time was up, so we wouldn’t find out anyway.

 

            Marvel was reasonably friendly with Caesar. One of the things he joked about was the identity of Glimmer’s significant other. “I’m afraid it’s not me, but not for lack of trying.”

 

Clove made it clear that she was dangerous – ah, the pint-size peril. However, she had some sweetness mixed in with her sarcasm.

 

            Cato was in a crisp black suit, topped with a sharp and angular cut of his blond hair. The girls reacted to him much like how the boys had reacted to Glimmer, and he gladly flexed for them. Caesar started by asking, “Why were you so eager to volunteer?”

            “I’m confident I can win this. I’m ready, willing and able to kill my way there. My father thought the same.”

            It was hardly unheard of for a victor’s child to end up in the Games, but Cato’s situation was different. As Caesar explained, “But Julius Adams _didn’t_ make it out of the 55th Games.”

            “Aye. His girlfriend (my mother) was already pregnant.” There was a crack in his brashness. _Mom was very far along with Posy at the time of the mine explosion. Thomas Hawthorne died in a very different manner, but just as surely a child would never know their father._ Cato drew me out of my thoughts with his next line: “An Adams will take the crown this time.”

Cato already had obvious sponsor appeal in his looks and strength, but he had just come up with something more. I could tell from the gleam in his eye that he still had another thing on his mind. “That Glimmer, she’s something else, isn’t she? We fell for each other real quick.” The Capitol gossip hounds had their answer and went wild. _This is bullshit. Four and a half days? I’ve known Catnip for four and a half years. We’ll show them!_

 

            Many of the other tributes had interviews as unimpressive as their training scores. However, the young woman from District Five sounded very smart for someone who only scored a five. You need smarts in the Games, but brutishness is what impresses the Gamemakers.

 

Rue was a darling little girl, and explained that she would stay out of trouble: “If they can’t catch me, they can’t kill me. So don’t count me out.” Caesar gamely agreed.

 

Thresh let his bulk speak for itself, parrying Caesar’s questions with simple yes-or-no answers. To the audience, he would simply come off as silent but deadly. To me, it said that he didn’t want to be a part of the show. Good for him.

 

Neither Rue’s fantasy nor Thresh’s dismissal could crack Caesar’s friendly and professional demeanor, which also had been on full display with the other tributes. Katniss could use the help, considering how nervous she was. “So, what’s your favorite part of the Capitol so far?”

“The lamb stew?”

“I can’t get enough of that stuff either, and I’m afraid it shows.” He patted his gut, and the audience cheered for the bit of affable self-deprecating humor.

“But really, Cinna. He’s the nicest person I’ve met here, and aren’t the outfits amazing?”

“Yes, that tribute parade will not soon be forgotten.”

She stood up and began to twirl around. The dress was even more vivid with its hemline fluttering through the air. Not the real Katniss, but the audience loved it.

“Pretty girl like you must have a special guy.”

“We’ve been inseparable for years, but only recently fell in love.”

“Well, go home to him; a victor is quite a catch.”

            “That won’t help.”

“Why not?”

“He’s here with me.” Silence. _Direct hit._

 

            In the parade and in training, we benefitted from the district order by finishing with a lasting impression. I was ready to drop more closing bombs with Caesar right about now. My cue came from Games announcer Claudius Templesmith, in his unmistakable deep booming voice. “And now for the last of our tributes, the District Twelve male, Gale Hawthorne.”

 

            I walked into the stage lights and took my place in the chair next to Caesar. As with Cato, the females in the audience cheered the loudest. I was used to lots of attention, from the schoolgirls back home, but had largely ignored them since soon after I met Katniss.

 

            Caesar and I exchanged a friendly handshake. “Well, the girls are all over you, but supposedly one of them already has your heart.”

            “It’s true. She’s the only one for me; all the lovers that came before don’t compare to her. A certain couple has known each other for four and half days; we’ve known each other for four and half years.”

“So you volunteered to save your girlfriend?” _Total miss_.

“No, my brother. That damsel can handle her own distress, but Rory needs my help.”

 “That’s basically what she said about…”

 

I finished Caesar’s sentence and went into rapid-fire mode: “Prim. We’re exceptions to the saying, ‘family loyalty only goes so far on reaping day’. We already do all we can for them. We basically had to after our fathers died in the mines. This includes taking the tesserae.” The audience fell into a befuddled silence. _How could they be so clueless about such a fundamental aspect of the Games’ cruelty?_ “Take additional food rations, get additional reaping entries. Here, the Avoxes serve us more than we know what to do with. District Twelve’s gonna have a victor. I guarantee it. Someone’s going to live through this. When it’s over, they and our folks will never be hungry again.” Many tributes boasted that they would win. However, few said that _their district_ would win. Few knew the hunger the Games were named after, and fewer still talked about it. “I’m proud to bear Rory’s amateur artwork as my token.”

 

“Now, Katniss’ three minutes are already up, but let’s hear it for the two most loyal older siblings in the country.” Much of the crowd and even some of the tributes were on their feet. Not everybody – some wouldn’t do this. Some hadn’t.

 

Haymitch was ecstatic later. “Katniss did alright, I think her 11 spoke for itself, but you nailed it. And look at the odds. He handed me a recent printout from the Capitol bookmakers. “District Twelve is the favorite!” The two of us were each at 4 to 1. Cato was still the individual favorite at 3 to 1, but Clove at 6 to 1 didn’t balance out as well for District Two. “I find it crass that people bet on the tributes’ lives, but money talks. Also, many of the gamblers back up their bets with sponsorship money.”

 

“I obviously didn’t need Capitol finery to fall in love with you, but you sure were gorgeous this evening. However, I hate to see such a sharp young woman come off as an idiot – that’s exactly what I’m not attracted to.”

“It was the best way out of that interview. Also, I hate to admit it, but that outfit of yours kinda turned _me_ into one of those idiot schoolgirls.” _The second part sounded a bit less serious._

“Did that to Portia too, and a bunch of others. I tired of the attention because I already know who I want: you. I think that’s how it’s been for a couple years now.”

 

            I was about to fall asleep when I heard a knock on the door that could only be Katniss. “What do you want, Catnip,” I asked sweetly.

She responded with an alluring “You”. I could feel myself agreeing with her. “Let’s go all the way tonight, no regrets, just love. We’re leaving in the morning, so don’t be shy.”

 

            The pressure of the Games had finally gotten us to turn even further towards each other. Was Haymitch’s matchmaking a self-fulfilling prophecy? Did he really see something in the two of us, or was he just working an angle for the Games? However, now was not the time to be deliberative. She was now offering something I had thought about for years. I had never gone beyond kissing with any of the schoolgirls – I think that’s because I wanted this from her and her alone.

 

            “Let’s have a full taste of love before we go into the depths. You’re right, this is our last chance. You have such nice things to say about my eyes - Well, what do you think about these orbs?” She dropped her robe; there was nothing but her tender young flesh beneath it. _The Capitol pampering polished away the physical marks of a hard life in the Seam; the Capitol food was filling her out nicely_.

“They’re on you! More proof of how beautiful you really are, and you’re looking even better lately.” More succinctly, I flung aside the bedsheets.

 

She slowly lowered herself down on to me. I was her absolute first, and even a woman who was anything but a virgin probably would have wanted to be careful with the ol’ Hawthorne tool. There was nothing awkward about the moment when it finally arrived, and I wonder if the wait had made the act even sweeter than it ought to be.

 

I could tell her initial pain quickly turned to pleasure. I stepped up the pace as we thrashed about and she soon found her release. Mine was soon to follow and I pulled away in time. Then I went off at the top of her chest. I’m not sure what you call this – a sugar necklace? However, I was pretty sure that she looked her best in this outfit or lack thereof, whatever it was called. As we went limp, all I could think about was round two with this amazing creature.

 

I kissed her all over in the few minutes it took us to recharge. I knew exactly where to put my mouth, too. I got a taste of the breasts that I had so gloriously been introduced to by sight. With us covered in sweat, my mouth was traveling all the way south. I was experienced at kissing and treading carefully through the bush; Venia and Octavia had apparently left _this_ alone. I worked my way back up her inner thighs, and when my tongue finally reached her sweet spot, she was back on fire again. As I kept flicking at her, she was writhing around dancing in the flames. When I flicked upwards towards her button, she shook and collapsed. I heard chicks dig this; apparently, I heard correctly.

 

I stood in front of the bed and gripped her legs to pull her closer. With her ankles on my shoulders, I entered her while she was lying down and I was standing up. I got more proof that my sweet Catnip can be a fiery one. Her legs ran down to what might as well be heaven. We started thinking of more interesting ways to contort the human body, and eventually we began to exhaust ourselves.

 

She whispered, “I think maybe part of us knew all along.” _So right_. “If I had known it was going to be like this…”

“I understand. I’ll always treasure this moment.”

 

I awoke to a different woman screaming my name, this time in anger instead of pleasure. “Gale Thomas Hawthorne! … Katniss Ingrid Everdeen!” _Oh my, Katniss and I passed out next to each other, and Effie found us the next morning._ Haymitch was on our side though: “Effie, must you be like this? They could die today.” _Uh, thanks, I guess…_ “Hit the showers and get dressed, because it’s pretty obvious you’re filthy and naked right now. Today’s a big, big, big day!” He echoed Effie’s overenthusiastic line with wonderful sarcasm.


	8. Bathed In Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This year’s Games finally begin and the usual chaotic battle ensues.

This Morning We Dine In Hell

 

            Here we are, about to go from the lap of luxury into the maw of death. The majority of people in this room were having their last meal right now. Alex yelled out “I hear warrior queen was pretty passionate last night.” Cato high-fived him for that. I bit my tongue; I wanted to lick my lips with it. This wouldn’t faze the Capitol, but it would amuse them. Did rumors spread about me and Catnip? Had Glimmer and Cato been telling the truth in their interviews?

 

            Katniss had some words about her new friend. “Rue says the Peacekeepers in Eleven are much worse, but she still sneaks food out of the fields.”

            “Darnit, that twelve year old girl has even bigger balls than I do.”

 

            One Peacekeeper said simply, “It’s time.” There was a green carpet leading to the hovercraft that would take us to the arena. We were marched down it, and the walk may as well have been a mile long. We got the glaring Peacekeepers’ message to quickly climb up the ladder.

 

            We were strapped into seats in the sides of the hovercraft. Medical technicians came down the aisle giving injections. The needles contained the tracking devices that the Capitol used to monitor us in the arena. The Careers acted as if they were getting shots of the powerful painkiller drug morphling. Some of the stronger non-Careers, like myself, brushed it off. Most gritted their teeth. The little ones like Rue knew better than to cry, but you could still see the fear in their eyes, whether from the shot or what it indicated.

 

            An intercom droned “Fifteen minutes out”.

 

            The hovercraft windows darkened so we didn’t see the environment we were approaching. The windows returned to normal once we landed underneath the arena. The labyrinth of the arena catacombs was disorienting. Tributes were placed in a random order around the Cornucopia, and the Capitol wanted to confuse us about where we’d end up.

 

At this point the tributes, even the district pairs, were separated. I folded down my left thumb and pinky, raising the other three fingers of my hand in Katniss’ direction. It was an ancient sign of respect back home, and the rest of the reaping crowd did it for us as we absorbed near-certain death for our siblings’ sake. It was all that could be said right now, but it was all that needed to be said. I was walked down the hallway that said ‘MALE 12’. _Get your hands off of me, you white-clothed numbnuts, I thought of the Peacekeepers._

 

They unhanded me at the end of the hallway, a room called the Stockyard. It was officially called the Launch Room, but as far as Twelve was concerned, it’s where we went to be slaughtered, hence ‘Stockyard’. Once I was shoved in, they locked the door.

 

Tributes wore the same clothes in the arena, except for male/female styling, sizes, and district numbers. I paid attention as Portia presented me with the standard outfit, since it related to arena conditions. Usually the uniform and arena were a good match, but sometimes not if the Gamemakers were feeling _especially_ sadistic. The pants and shirt were both green, and the pants had plenty of pockets. The belt and boots were both made out of sturdy leather. The thin black jacket had a zipper and a hood.

 

“It’s time. You can make the odds be in your favor. May force be with you.” We were locked into a clear cylindrical elevator. The tubes carried us into the arena and the platforms came to a stop.

 

The Final Countdown

 

There was one more minute before the Games really started, enforced by landmines near the platforms. A large yellow display on the Cornucopia counted down the remaining seconds.

_Sixty._ I start to take in my surroundings. It’s a woodland hunting ground. If we ever had a chance in the Games, it’s with this arena. Maybe the odds really are in our favor after all.

 

 _Fifty._ I see Katniss and our eyes meet. She’s a few platforms to my right, about a third of the way around the circle. Cato was the only threat in between us. Cato’s enemy from Six, ‘Ashton’ I believe, was also between us. Cato’s rage over Ashton’s nonexistent offense might indeed be our saving grace.

 

 _Forty-two._ I see a bow in the mouth of the Cornucopia, a beautiful metallic one like the ones in the training center. Katniss obviously saw it too.

 

 _Forty._ A previous thought echoes in my head. _Once they see how good she is with a bow, they’ll give her one. A good show, that’s all they want._ Evidently the Gamemakers aren’t wasting their time, doing that right at the start.

 

 _Thirty-five._ Haymitch’s thoughts also come to mind. _They’re trying to draw you in. That’s not your game._ It is now. I glance at Katniss again and shake my head yes.

 

 _Thirty._ This may be her only chance to get a bow. None of the other tributes showed themselves to be a particularly good shot, but they’d certainly want to keep it out of Katniss’ hands. I’ve seen Katniss run - she should be able to win the footrace for it. 

_Twenty._ Katniss was poised in a running stance and was aimed towards the Cornucopia, like many other tributes. I stood ready to join her.

 

 _Ten._ The Capitol had dragged us from the faraway towns. Now we’ve declared war on each other, and battle come down.

 

 _Zero._ The gong went off. Can’t be scared when it goes down.

           

Battle Come Down

 

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rue hastily grab a pack of supplies from the periphery before fleeing – a common strategy indeed.

 

            I ran directly to my chosen spot, fairly close to the middle of the Cornucopia. I grabbed a full-size pack. As I stood up with a now-shielded back, I saw it - Katniss has the bow!

 

            I saw Alex spear the hobbled boy from Ten, scoring an easy kill for the first death of the Games. As expected, Ashton became Cato’s first target. However, the method of the kill was truly horrifying – Cato did it with raw brute force, simply twisting Ashton’s head until the motion caused a neck fracture. _Killing at range wouldn’t be easy, but only a real thug can kill someone hand-to-hand, standing right in front of them, staring right into their eyes._

 

Marvel then joined Alex in ending too soon the lives of kids that never had a chance. Katniss was a target for most of the other Careers now. _Damn it, maybe Haymitch was right!_ She had the bow aimed at Cato’s back when I saw Glimmer charge with a long knife. My foot broke her stride, and she had the foresight to throw her weapon to where she wouldn’t fall on it. She landed on her side and proved surprisingly acrobatic in escaping my grasp. Katniss lost Cato as a target in the confusion and re-aimed at Pearl, hitting her square in the chest before the District 4 girl even got close with that spear.

 

Clove decided to send Katniss a blade via airmail instead – Catnip swerved, and it passed right next to her head. Thresh pushed Clove, causing the second throw to go way errant. She too barely avoided an angry big guy. Alex left another hapless tribute lying bloodied, and Katniss rewarded him with an arrow in the middle of the leg. Marvel threw a spear at the boy from Seven. This was already farther than District Twelve usually got.

 

            Katniss and I had to part ways to escape the melee. In the chaos of the bloodbath, I didn’t see who else had fallen by whose hand. Cannons rang out before hovercraft came to pick up the bodies, but I couldn’t even keep count. We would all have to wait for the nightly update. This was the point where Cornucopia survivors began to regroup. I saw Thresh retreat. As usual, the Careers made camp near the Cornucopia and its remaining supplies – I counted five. It was very unusual for any of them to die in the bloodbath, let alone two, but it wasn’t unheard of for other tributes to join them. I think it was the boy from Three – maybe he was brought in as the brains of the operation, although that might not be saying much.

 

            I started to run towards the woods. The District Eight male was also fleeing. He tried to bring me down by taking my legs out from under me. His swipe went wide right. I pinned him after he fell down, before he had a chance to get back up. He broke the hold and grabbed for the upper strap of my pack – was he trying to steal it or tackle me? It didn’t matter, since the move simply shifted the weight on my shoulders. He ended up with an unsteady grip on me and I easily reversed the hold. I hooked my elbow around his neck and squeezed. Another cannon went off as another life ended.

 

            I wonder what the folks back home were thinking. _Mama, just killed someone – put my arm against his neck and squeezed, now he’s dead – just another poor boy from a poor family._ I did that almost too easily.

 

            I wanted to set up some snares, both for hunting and catching other tributes. I sat down to look through my pack. I found some sturdy string in one of the side pockets. At the edge of the woods, I laid some simple snares to pull up small game. I was thinking of more-complex ideas when I heard another cannon go off. Could it possibly be for Katniss? I had to go find her.


	9. Propose A Toast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gale and Katniss survive the bloodbath, find each other in the arena, and make camp.

My worries about Katniss’ death were greatly exaggerated. She was still very much alive, sitting in a clearing on the forest floor near a small river. _Who was that latest cannon for, though?_ “Katniss!,” I shouted.

            “Gale!” she spoke back at a volume less likely to give away our position. We were clearly overjoyed to see each other make it this far; even just our natural reactions would be clear enough to the dolts in the Capitol. “Haymitch said ‘stay away from the bloodbath’, but I couldn’t resist that bow.”

            “I knew you couldn’t, and I made sure to be right there with you – good thing, as I got to Glimmer just in time.”

            “Seems Thresh is on our side too – I saw him distract Clove before running off on his own. I didn’t manage to catch anything for dinner on the way over here.”

            “I set some snares though - why don’t you start a fire while I go check them?”

            “A fire? Why don’t we put up a sign that says _Hey Careers, we’re over here_?”

            “Would you prefer rabbit fever to Cato-itis?”

            “You have a point. Besides, building it in the forest could hide the smoke well enough.”

 

            Before I left to retrieve my catch, I took a look at Katniss’ quiver. “These are some nice arrows, and ten of them? Looks like the Gamemakers weren’t skimping on ammunition.”

            “There were twelve. I lost two to the pair from Four.” _Indeed, items on a fallen tribute are removed from the arena along with their body._

            She leaned in to whisper to me, and I understood why – to say something that would obviously draw Capitol retaliation if heard. “I lost more than a couple arrows.”

            I whispered back, “I feel the same way. I got into a fight with the boy from Eight on the way out of there.”

 

            Turns out I had caught something, but squirrel instead of rabbit. I walked back to camp and noticed Katniss had finished the fire lay - a pyramid of sticks surrounding a bed of wood scraps. I noticed a knife lying on the ground next to her, still with some sawdust on the serrated edge.

 

            “Catnip, looks like you got a nice blade from the Cornucopia.”

            “Not exactly – it was a gift from Clove. I flung the backpack around to absorb the blow. I grabbed it away from the Nine boy and he wasn’t so lucky with crazy knife girl.”

            We wanted to take further inventory of our packs before it got dark. “My big pack as a shield probably helped me get out of the bloodbath. Also, this shade of red looks downright muted compared to how orange your pack is.”

“Yeah, I need to camouflage it somehow, maybe by smearing mud over the orange parts. I didn’t get any more weapons, but I did get some survival supplies. This sleeping bag, but we don’t need that yet.” _It was made out of material similar to the jackets._ “Iodine tablets…”

“Catnip, now that you mention that, I’m parched.” We each had an empty water bottle in our packs. My bottle had a jar of red sugar at the bottom. “Iodine taste is the least of our worries right now, but I’m not complaining,” I said and she agreed. I set the red sugar jar aside and we filled our bottles by dipping them in the stream. We set the bottles down while waiting for the iodine to take effect. I continued looking through my pack while waiting. I had gotten a pocketknife, which helped me set up some hidden spikes. Looking through my pack further, I found stimulant pills and a flashlight, so maybe I could wait until after nightfall to inventory the rest of it.

 

Katniss switched her attention to starting the fire. She took out a box of matches. Almost as if on cue, I heard a chime. Evidently Haymitch chose this time to send in our first sponsor gift. A metal container floated down on a silver silk parachute. I fielded it, and the casing revealed a loaf of bread made in the District 12 style. _Was this courtesy of tactician Haymitch or drunken smart-aleck Haymitch?_ A loaf of bread seemed like a mundane useful item, but to lovers from District 12, it was anything but. Weddings were very simple back home, but they always included a toasting – the newlyweds made a fire in their new home and warmed bread over it.

 

A lifetime commitment doesn’t mean much right now, but this is how I felt anyway. With years of growing close enough to know everything about each other, I couldn’t help but love my kindred spirit eventually. Meeting her was the best thing that had ever happened to me, and we’d make the best of our last several days together. I showed Katniss the bread and she understood just as well as I did. “Will you?” _The Capitol and the other eleven districts simply heard ‘slice this’. District Twelve heard ‘marry me’._

“Yes.”

 

            I’ve heard of stories in which men marry their sweethearts before going off to war. However, it wasn’t so common that they would be on the battlefield together. My traps now had an additional purpose: wedding security.

 

            I got out some of my recently-acquired cooking and eating gear. Katniss found a few food items in her pack, but they were left off the menu so we could save them for later. She blew the sawdust off the knife and sliced the bread while the flames caught. We had the first few slices plain off the fire while the squirrel cooked, and finished off with sandwiches. We washed it down with the water that was now purified and sweetened. I doubt anyone had enjoyed a dinner more, and it showed. I was amused by just how simple it was, yet it still counts. Heck, it counts more than the fanciest party the Capitol could dream up. We were not joined by law, simply by custom and the fact that we thought we were.

 

            Now for something beyond a downer – the deaths recap. The sequence started with the Panem national anthem, a tune that would never cease to aggravate me. A hovercraft supported a large projector screen in the sky, currently showing the Capitol seal. The fallen tributes were listed one by one – district, picture and name. It was a blur, but our last day in the Capitol included getting those pictures taken. District Three, Regina. District Four, Pearl. District Four, Alex. _He used to be a tribute like us until my wife shot him._ District Six, Kara. District Six, Ashton. District 7, Sawmill. District 8, Mackenzie. District 8, Samuel. _I’m sorry._ District 9, Annie. District 9, Imanol. District 10, Dakota. District 10, Jeremy. _A dozen laid low in only a few hours._ The anthem was played again at the end. Rue was safe for now, and Katniss needed the good news after she had been led to spill blood.

 

I would take the nighttime watch. I took one of the stimulant pills and got out the flashlight. I slid my pocketknife’s leather pouch onto my belt. Katniss figured she’d be warm enough in the sleeping bag, so she handed me her jacket. As she climbed in, I whispered, “Goodnight, my bride.”


	10. Glato Versus Everthorne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both tribute couples took their relationship to another level and are set to face off against each other in the arena

I kept looking through my pack while Katniss slept. Her jacket worked well enough to hide the glow from my flashlight. I found leather gloves, rain gear, spare clothes, more matches, a compass, rolls of tape, a knife sharpener and a first aid kit. I left the medical supplies for Katniss to look through in the morning. Her sister was the one to take after their mother, but Catnip would still have a better understanding of it than I would.

 

            It was an uneventful night. Maybe the Careers were also resting. Maybe they were looking for Thresh, Rue, the Seven girl or the pair from Five instead.

 

            This stimulant-fueled all-nighter was running out of steam. I had to wake Katniss up, and I knew just the way to do it. I was so stealthy that even she couldn’t detect me sometimes; I tiptoed up to the sleeping bag and pulled back the top of it to reveal her sleeping head looking up at me. I breathed lightly on her before leaning in for a kiss. She took a moment to stir. “Good morning, husband. I almost thought I was still dreaming.”

            “Catnip, I’d also choose dreams about my lover over nightmares about the other 22. Now it’s about time to lie down and have them. Nothing much happened last night, but it turns out I grabbed a lot of good supplies – you might want to take a look at the medical stuff.”

 

            We were well-supplied but lightly armed except for the archery set. I wielded the bow and arrows while Katniss was indisposed, but handed them back to her now. Similarly, I would keep Katniss’ knife from yesterday except while sleeping. I handed it back to her. Once I slid in the bag and laid down on my side, I quickly fell asleep.

 

            Katniss woke me up a few hours later, with no time to do it romantically. “The pair from Five!” I rushed to get out of the sleeping bag as Katniss handed me the knife. They were pilfering our supplies. Foxface swept up some piles of food and tried to make a break for it. She ran a route that obstructed Katniss’ aim, so a couple arrows lodged in trees and a couple more sailed into the ground. As Katniss went to retrieve the arrows, Christopher tried to grab for the whole pack. Even once he realized it was a fatal mistake, it was too late. He dropped it and tried to flee like his district partner, but I was able to catch him. _If I must do this, it seems right to do it quickly and cleanly. If you end someone’s life, you should look them in the eye and hear their final words. If you can’t do that, maybe they don’t deserve death. A ruler who relies on executioners soon forgets what death is._ I drew the knife across his throat. Christopher revealed Foxface’s real name as he died. “May the odds be in Marissa’s favor – they weren’t in mine.”

 

            “And then there were eleven – Glimmer, Marvel, Clove, Cato, Nathan, Marissa, Logroll, Rue, Thresh and us.” Soon after we killed him, I heard another cannon go off. Was Nathan _kicked out of the Career alliance_? Were they able to do what we didn’t, catch Marissa? Did they find Logroll, Rue or Thresh? This second day had a much shorter deaths recap. “District Five, Christopher. District Seven, Logroll.”

 

The third day brought no deaths. Nothing eventful of any sort happened on our end. We were trying to stay out of trouble. The Careers were evidently looking for it somewhere else. Rue had even announced her intention to avoid confrontation. Thresh probably had a similar strategy. Were they working together? Could we link up with them? For obvious reasons we feared an ambush, and Thresh would make for a much stronger defensive position. Rue would make a good scout. “Catnip, how about we try and find Little Flower tomorrow?”

“We could all use each others’ help.”

 

That fourth day, we didn’t find anybody, whether or not we _wanted_ to find them. However, it was a change of pace to be moving around instead of holding our defensive position. On one hand, my traps are stationary. On the other hand, I wanted to find a location that could be particularly well fortified.

 

We had gotten into the habit of going to bed after the recap. Today, Foxface had been outfoxed somehow some way. This time, Katniss would take the nighttime watch. I pointed out the stimulant pills and which side pocket of the pack contained them. “It is by that yellow powder that thoughts acquire speed, but the body acquires shakes, and those shakes become a warning.” I heard another cannon before drifting off to sleep.

            The next morning, we heard from Templesmith again. “Attention tributes! I have a special announcement. We are now down to the final eight, including both members of both couples. If either couple are the final two, they may win together.” _It wouldn’t have to be me_ or _Katniss! But… One and Two each win more than a third of the time, and now they might both win? That’s what the Capitol wanted, to toss their favored districts another favor. Screw that! Love Katniss and hate the Capitol, my two favorite things._

 

“Also, there’s a baby on the way and a marriage, but for different pairs.” _He didn’t say which was which. Those Capitol clowns were probably making bets right now. Haymitch was the only person in the Capitol that would have any clue about the toasting, so he must have had something to do with this. Was Glimmer being careless, or did she know exactly what she was doing? We could keep it in our pants, especially while in the middle of such a dangerous situation, but if Cato got Glimmer knocked up already, I can guess how they’d be celebrating this announcement. We couldn’t bear the thought of children in the Reaping; they would probably celebrate it._

 

I started a pep talk. “Anything that's worth having is sure enough worth fighting for. Quitting's out of the question. When it gets tough, gotta fight some more. Let’s seal the deal!”

“As always, I’m with you a hundred percent.”

“And I with you. We understand each other so well because we’ve lived the same circumstances together in the same way; Victor shall be yet another bond.”

 

Two cannons went off in quick succession. They obviously hadn’t found us, and I now thought Thresh and Rue were traveling separately. The Career alliance had to split at some point. Which two of those misguided kids had fallen?

 

They always interviewed the families of the final eight. Twelve didn’t have firsthand experience with the camera crews, but we were subjected to the footage from other districts. Usually both of our tributes were killed in the bloodbath or soon after, and now both of us had made the cut. I had wondered what they were thinking back home. The rest of the country would find that out first, or at least find out what they’d dare to say to the Capitol’s face. Surely we’d win together and go back to hear it ourselves, wouldn’t we?


	11. Onward To Victory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The arena combat has reached a stalemate with six tributes remaining.

I hated the thought, but we had to resist our opponents’ sentimental appeal, just as we figured they’d be trying to resist ours. In a better world, that wouldn’t have to be and we could have gotten along quite well with them.

 

Very soon after The Announcement, two cannons went off in quick succession. Undoubtedly, the Career alliance had broken up, but who had killed who?

 

It was an uneventful day before we had our answer. As usual, our attention was grabbed by the recaps sequence, and we were given three names - District One, Marvel. District Two, Clove. District Three, Nathan. _So the Career alliance had disintegrated to leave us facing our counterparts. Yet maybe there was a chance for Eleven if not for Twelve._ The sequence ended and I was learning to tune out that tune.

 

The next afternoon, we found Rue. She was climbing down from the highest branches of a tree. Katniss decided to climb up to her. They ended up meeting in the lower branches, sitting on opposite sides of the trunk. I stood right under the tree and could clearly hear their conversation. “It’s just me, little flower,” Katniss said to introduce herself.

“I knew it was you, Miss Katniss. Glimmer and Cato found out the hard way that they can’t climb trees like we can,” Rue replied.

“So you found them?,” Katniss asked.

 “They found me, but couldn’t do anything about it. I’ve stayed out of trouble the whole Games,” Rue explained.

“That’s great, little flower!,” Katniss cheered. “What have you been eating?”

“I learned back home what plants are good.” _Makes sense for a farm worker. Many kids learn things working in their district’s industry that come in handy if they’re forced into the Games. In Twelve, only adults work the mines._

 

“Well, why don’t you ladies come down for dinner?,” I shouted up.

“How about you catch me again?,” Katniss called back. She fell into my arms and Rue fell on to her shoulders. Now the whole country would cheer like our small group in the Training Center had.

 

“They’re not at the Cornucopia,” Rue said, obviously talking about the Careers. “But I think they booby-trapped their big pile of supplies there.”

Rue had piqued my interest, and that was clear in my reply: “Traps, huh? That’s my specialty. Guess we’ll have to take a look, eh, Catnip?”

“Catnip? How’d you get that nickname, Miss Katniss?,” Rue said, looking mildly puzzled.

“When I first met Gale, I said my name really quietly and he thought I said ‘Catnip’.” _That part of the truth was pretty innocuous, after all._

“That’s sweet. I’m really happy for you two,” Rue said to Katniss. “He’s like a lighter Thresh – big and strong, but still nice…”

“Thank you,” I interrupted. “Now speaking of Thresh, where is he?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him. He must have found a really good place to hide. And of course, he knows all about the food plants too.” Rue continued he previous conversation with “If it’s a girl, will you name it after me? I’m sure you’ll be a wonderful mommy and daddy.” _Rue sees it, even if you don’t yet,_ I thought in Katniss’ direction.

            Katniss was clearly somewhat surprised, but she took it well. “No, no, I’m the wife, not the mommy. But if I ever do have a daughter, it would be hard to think of a more beautiful name.”

 

            A game animal which Rue identified as a groosling was common here in the arena. I had pulled one out of my snares yesterday. We had cooked it then. We’d eat some of the leftovers cold now rather than risk another fire. I got it out of my pack. Rue was wide-eyed, even at the room-temperature drumstick. “I’ve never had a whole leg to myself before!,” she said. We all chowed down. I saw that Rue’s token was a simple plant necklace with a wooden ‘jewel’. She was wearing that and carrying a slingshot – a pitiful armament, but better than nothing, I suppose.

 

            We decided to separate again. Rue whistled a simple tune, and Katniss copied it. That would be our signal. I gave Rue some warm clothes out of my pack’s spares. Rue was even able to identify the odd item in Katniss’ pack. “Night-vision goggles. I recognize those from when we work late in the fields.” I slipped them on, and sure enough, the darkness was tinted green but visible.

 

            Katniss explained her and Rue’s musical selection. “She says that means quitting time back home and all the mockingjays in the fields start to echo it and it’s really quite beautiful. She must have recognized the bird from my pin.” _I knew it went further than that piece of home, though. The Capitol never intended mockingjays to exist; they were the result of its machinations being turned against it. During the rebellion, they created jabberjays, genetically engineered birds that memorized rebel conversations to repeat to Capitol handlers. The Capitol left the birds to die once the rebels starting feeding them lies. However, they did not die, mating with mockingbirds to produce mockingjays. Mockingjays could no longer mimic human speech, but they loved human music and reacted accordingly._

 

            There were no deaths to recap that day, so there must have been no confrontation with Thresh. However, the Capitol often wanted to see another death quickly to make things ‘interesting’, and often rigged the arena to make it so. Disgusting. Cato and Glimmer’s romance, much more torrid than ours, might placate the audience. That wasn’t so bad, at least relatively speaking. I wondered if they were going to copy our wedding ritual idea. Well, their marital contact would help postpone us being led into martial contact with them. Katniss and I were starting to cast glances at each other, but we realized we needed to keep our heads in the game, this sick sick game.

 

            We followed Rue’s lead the next morning. The Careers had mostly cleaned out the Cornucopia, but there was one mace lying in a corner. The supplies were piled up nearby. I saw some fresh dirt, so they must’ve buried whatever traps Rue was talking about. I saw similarly disturbed turf near the podiums. “Apparently they moved the landmines to guard the supplies. I bet the boy from Three knew how to turn them back on.”

            Katniss replied with a sort of trash talk. “Yeah, I doubt our fellow tributes from One and Two could have figured that out.”

            “Let’s see if we can set them off,” I offered.

            She answered with a suggestion. “The top of the pile looks pretty stable, so I doubt I could make a shot to knock something loose.”

            I agreed with her assessment, and added “Let’s try finding heavy things to throw at the minefield.”

            “Maybe not now; I think I hear them coming.” We stood still for a short time and confirmed her initial sense. Then we became the very opposite of ‘still’ to get away from their base and towards ours.

 

 _Has it really been a week?_ , I thought as I was waking up on the eighth morning. A week in which only six of us had managed to remain alive. Well, so far they couldn’t catch Rue, so they couldn’t kill her.

 

            Katniss and I got separated during that day’s hunt. I returned to our camp first. Some traps had been disabled and some equipment had been removed or sabotaged. Some tripwires had been cut, and perhaps they had time to free themselves from the merely ensnaring nonlethal traps. I saw Glimmer, but not Cato – apparently our counterpart pair was also not working together for the time being. I taunted her with “You’re not fucking your way out of the arena. A rather repulsive use of how attractive you are. I still think Katniss looks better, even before Cinna got ahold of her.” I started rotating the mace in the palm of my right hand and I moved the knife so that I could easily draw it with my left hand.

Glimmer got the message and began to make herself scarce. “I was taught to fight and win, never thought I could fail”. I suppose her retreat was a failure for now. I would have been glad to fight her alone if she was stupid enough to oblige, but both of us would have preferred the odds being in our favor two to one.

 

Yet her presence was quickly replaced with that of her lover. I saw Cato draw his sword and charge. This was probably the end. I was in the middle of a clearing and couldn’t hide. There was no way I could outrun him, so I’d have to stand and fight. My mace was the best option I had. I intended to break his hand, but his swings came so hard and fast that I was instantly forced onto the defensive. The cluster of spikes on the mace head helped deflect his blade, but my strength was fading under the repeated blows.

 

            He tried to come in on my right side, and I successfully moved to parry the blow. However, my reflexes could not match his next move. He tossed the blade into the air and caught the hilt in his left hand. Then he brought it down into my left arm. The searing pain quickly started clouding my mind. However, I was finally able to land a blow on his right hand. He was shaken, and his second sword hit was only a graze.

 

            When I saw Catnip, I realized the warrior angel couldn’t have come at a better time. I was in her line of fire right now, but the threat of an arrow also restricted Cato’s movements. That was a letup I desperately needed. Katniss was running around and eventually was able to line up a shot on Cato’s front. Cato realized it was time for him to retreat as well, ducking as Katniss let the arrow loose.

 

As the adrenaline and endorphins wore off, my attention was brought back to the injury. Katniss started looking at my bleeding forearm. The first aid kit from my pack had been moved to hers, so it was safe and handy despite the Career raid. For now, we wiped off the excess blood and wrapped a cloth around my arm. The blood flow seemed to be slowing down; we could treat the wound further once it stopped bleeding entirely. Anyway, I was certainly stable enough for us to go somewhere else.

 

It still hurt. We had already demonstrated the toasting; I was about to continue the District 12 culture education with a lesson on our local obscenities. Cato and Glimmer would be cursing once we were done with our plans for tomorrow.  Destroying their supplies should give us the final edge we needed to make it out of the arena, or at least take away their edge against us. Turnabout is fair play, as fair as one can get in these Games.

 

In the chaos, we had forgotten that our sleeping bag was amongst the missing supplies. It’s too cold for that, unnaturally cold for late summer, another example of the arena environment being manipulated by the Gamemakers. I needed to sleep off my injury. Katniss, fully aware of this, said “Well, you have a girl on fire to warm you.” Far worse fates could await me. Far worse. We pulled each other close, exposing some skin to contact with each other but not with the elements. We fell asleep in each others’ arms.

 

We walked to the Cornucopia site and found them nowhere near it. My emptied pack wouldn’t hold much, but it doesn’t take much to set one of these mines off. I winced at the gash in my arm as I hurled the thing at the pile of supplies. It was just enough to set off the first mine, and the chain reaction set off all of the others, leaving most of their supplies in smoldering ruins. Katniss had kept her distance in the woods nearby. I was far enough away from the fireball and shock wave, but my ears were still ringing. This was rather disturbing since hearing is so essential to a hunter, but Capitol doctors did fix up injuries the victor received in the arena. Well then, onward to victory!


	12. Damsel Alleviating Distress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And then there were two...

The ninth day ended with a chime rather than with pictures in the sky. The container and parachute was much larger for this second sponsor gift. Probably the cost too – sponsor gifts were much more expensive later in the games, and valuable items like this big thing probably was, even more so. I undid the claps on the container to reveal a large tan blanket, thick and puffy. We could only dream of such warm things in the Seam. Why didn’t Haymitch send this last night? As loving as the snuggling was, it was unsafe. Maybe Haymitch had wanted us to further emphasize our relationship, maybe it simply took him some time to get the gift together.

 

            Katniss undid the improvised bandage. The wound had stopped bleeding, but otherwise wasn’t looking good. I positively smiled for the cameras as she poured in some antiseptic, but I didn’t think it was accomplishing much. I announced “Maybe I could do this myself, but it’s so much nicer with you helping.”

 

            Catnip was getting tired, pointed to the blanket and echoed my comment as “I think I could take care of this myself, but it would be so much nicer if you helped.” Haymitch hadn’t sent us a sleeping bag for some reason, so we’d convert the blanket into one. She laid down in the middle and I folded it around her. I then used a piece of rope to tie the foot end closed.  I gently kissed her in the lips, and once I broke that sweet hold, she said “Nice and cozy.” Her voice trailed off as she immediately fell asleep. I can’t blame her for extreme exhaustion; I would be feeling it myself in a few hours.

 

            I leaned up against a tree, my eyes reporting through the night vision goggles _No Cato or Glimmer. Still no Cato or Glimmer. Still no Cato or Glimmer_ … Katniss had a similarly uneventful watch in the morning. As I stirred, I thought, _Another day with no killing, but plenty of fear of it. How can the Careers live for this death? How can the Capitol unquestioningly consume this vapid, superficial ‘entertainment’? Would the veil of propaganda ever be pierced?_

 

Waking up on the eleventh morning, I thought, _The action of the past few days had kept the Capitol amused, but still, they may be getting restless about the lack of bloodshed._ I was brought out of my thoughts with the answer to that concern. _BOOM._ I heard the all too familiar cannon sound for the nineteenth time, nineteen times too many. If either of our friends from Eleven had taken out Cato or Glimmer, that should keep the other Career from winning. Did Cato and Glimmer get the two to one fight versus Thresh that they hadn’t managed to get against either of us? Had they finally caught Rue? I doubted her chances in combat even against only one of them, yet maybe the odds really had been in her favor with that slingshot, especially if she had found something good to use for ammunition.

 

            They got Thresh. Katniss wasn’t happy either, but seemed relieved that it wasn’t Rue yet.

            The next day, we went out looking for them. It was time to finish this, especially before my arm got any worse. At dusk, we settled in at the edge of the woods. As the last of the twilight glow faded, I slipped on the night vision goggles. Near dawn, I saw something in a grove opposite us. I woke Katniss up with “Uh, Catnip, I think I see our friend from Two.”

She slipped on the goggles and saw the same silhouette I had. “Well, that’s definitely not Rue.” _Yeah, Mr. Adams had at least a foot and a half on Miss Clayton._ Katniss picked up the bow and got into her firing stance. “Darn it,” she muttered. “I don’t think I have a clear shot.”

“Well, don’t risk giving them a warning shot.” She couldn’t keep the bow drawn back, but she kept an arrow nocked.

 

            I saw something move at first light. Rue had climbed down from the trees to look for food and she was running back towards the woods when blades started whizzing through the air. Now that Clove was dead, it was Glimmer throwing them, which explained why Rue hadn’t been hit yet. _Glimmer must have looted Clove’s corpse. With the amount of supplies carried by a Career, why wouldn’t you? Also, I remembered from training there was no love lost between those two._ However, some of the knives sadly started to connect. Katniss rushed to her friend’s aid while Glimmer fled the scene. _The sparkling girl was at least smart enough to know that attacking Rue would earn Katniss’ wrath._

 

Katniss handed me the bow and arrows, saying “I have something to do”. I accepted the weapon and snapped into guard mode, even more vigilant than I had been before. Glimmer might come back and bring Cato with her. While not the healer in the family, Katniss was still the best one to attend to Rue right now. Her brow furrowed in much the same way her mother’s did when brought a lost cause. Pulling out the blades would only speed the blood loss - she would know that as a hunter if not as a healer.

I overheard them talking. “Johnny, I hardly knew ya. We have apple, peach and sugarcane, but we really have sawgrass, willow and rock.” I remembered what Katniss had relayed about Rue’s family. She was the oldest of six. Her brother Johnny was the next oldest, followed by the fruit-themed twin sisters and two more brothers. She named Mom and Dad last. They must have been something special to raise an even larger family in an even more hellish place than District Twelve, and now their bright little girl was almost gone.

Katniss said “Goodnight, little flower” and I could hear the pain in both voices.

            Rue channeled her last bit of vocal energy into the word ‘Sing’. Katniss would of course oblige her last request, but was momentarily flustered about song choice. She started cooing a lullaby about the meadow. However, Rue would not wake from this sleep. Another cannon blasted. Katniss thrust her left arm skyward with the thumb and pinky of the hand folded down. This was the same gesture many District 12 folks had made for us at the reaping. It was a sign of respect, but Rue was dead and those back home had thought we were as good as dead.

 

However, even with her friend confirmed dead, Katniss’ work was not done. That little girl should have been more than knife fodder for the amusement of a hundred thousand morons, and darn it, Katniss was going to let them know that. There were some flowers in a forest clearing behind our edge of the woods. Katniss went to pick some to lay over Rue’s lifeless body. I straightened out Rue’s legs and folded her arms over her chest. I pulled out the knives now. It was common for the mortician’s hovercraft to hold off while surviving tributes worked with the body. Katniss got back, and Rue looked even more serene with the wildflowers sprinkled over her. Katniss lost it. “Not just a piece in their Games,” I whispered.

 

            I saw Glimmer reappear, with Cato in the background. I took aim at Glimmer. I could shoot her, and then shoot Cato before he closed the gap. Finally, the odds were in District Twelve’s favor.


End file.
